Introduction of Rolex Explorer I 36mm Two Tone Watch Replica

Introduction of Rolex Explorer I 36mm Two Tone Watch Replica

I have reviewed more vintage Explorer watches than any other watch. This is a watch that I know forward and backward, inside and out. But 124273 replica made me change my mind. This got me thinking about what makes Explorer so special and what makes its relatively simple design last for two-thirds of a century with little change. It even made me think about what it means to "explore" today. The Rolex Explorer I 36mm Two Tone Watch Replica 124273 fulfilled its familiar and surprising promise.

The Case & Dial

What a two-tone Explorer replica means in concrete terms is that the bezel, crown, hands, applied dial markers, and center bracelet links are made of 18k yellow gold. The case and outer bracelet links are steel. The Oysterlock clasp is mostly steel, with a yellow gold “stripe” running down the center to visually match the bracelet links. This is all right in line with how Rolex typically executes two-tone watches, from Subs to Datejusts. Nothing crazy here.

The other big design tweak, and, in my estimation, the more important one, is the return to a 36mm case size for both the reference 124273 you see here and the all-steel ref. 124270 replica. The new proportions are spot-on. Side-by-side with a vintage Explorer – like my own beloved 1016 – the lineage is clear and the watches look completely of-a-kind. The case profile has been tweaked from earlier 36mm Explorer models, and while it's tough to pinpoint exact changes and their effects, the overall impact is a clean shape that wears well on the wrist.

To augment the case change, Rolex has totally redesigned the new replica Rolex Explorer I 's bracelet in a similar way to how they changed the Submariner's bracelet last year. The end-links integrate more tightly with the case design, giving better visual continuity (the bracelet looks almost like it flows through the case) and the bracelet itself tapers more dramatically toward the clasp. The result is a watch that wears lighter on the wrist, with better balance and no extra heft.

While the dial is still a classic 3-6-9 Explorer dial with a glossy black lacquer finish, the recent downsizing did impact a few little elements, here and there. The “Explorer” text has moved back up to 12 o'clock from six o'clock and the “Superlative Chronometer / Officially Certified” signature is a bit more spaced out to fill that bottom half. It might be some weird optical illusion thing, but to my eye the new dial looks cleaner and less cramped than the dial on the 214270 replica, despite packing the same info into less space. On the two-tone version of the watch, the gold hands and markers add a ton of visual warmth, reminding me of the gilt dials of the early 1960s.

The Movement

The last major update is the movement. The caliber 3230 brings the latest generation Rolex technology to the Explorer replica (some might add a “finally” somewhere in that sentence). It has a Chronergy escapement with a Parachrom hairspring, it has hacking seconds, it's precise to +2/-2 seconds per day, it's COSC certified, and it brings a 70-hour power reserve to the table. If you're looking for a solid workhorse movement that can stand up to whatever you throw its way, the caliber 3230 is tough to beat and a very appropriate engine for a contemporary Explorer.

Price

The two-tone ref. 124273 replica as a real value proposition. The watch retails for $10,800. For more information, please visit our latest replica Rolex watch listing, we are the largest and most reliable replica of luxury watches store, copy watches such as Panerai, Cartier, Hublot, IWC, Tag Heuer and more.